Your Grrrs compiled by FOX News intern Michelle Siegel.
Liz in Georgia: My GRRR! is to the drivers of those monstrous SUVs who come to a complete S-T-O-P at a 3-inch high-speed bump in a parking lot. The vehicle is supposedly made to climb mountains and go through rivers, and you are worried about a little speed hump? If you can't drive it, don't buy it!
Patti from Pennsylvania: How about a Grrr ... on those ImporTANTs who think they have to speed through a construction zone? Hello ... anyone ever heard of double fines and points when you get stopped for speeding? Last weekend in a construction zone in Pa., a luxury car from N.J. just had to tailgate me while I was driving through a construction zone. I don't care that they weren't actively working. You STILL GET FINED if you speed through a construction zone. Yes, I know it's a pain to take the time to slow down, but hey, how much time are you really going to save? One minute or two?
Sheila in cyberspace: I work downtown in a large city and my grrr is the "oblivions" who walk down the sidewalk three or four abreast, making it virtually impossible for anybody in a bigger hurry than they are to get anywhere. Also, when they meet a single pedestrian coming from the opposite direction, not one of them bothers to make room for the oncoming pedestrian to walk, forcing that pedestrian to either cling to the wall of the building, or literally bash their way through the line of oblivions, or walk outside the crosswalk boundary and dodge traffic! I hope those boors don't drive the way they walk!! Almost as annoying as the "sidewalk oblivions" is the idiot oblivions who, without any warning, open a door in your face to exit a building onto a sidewalk right in front of you instead of paying attention and waiting a split second for you to pass before opening the door and forcing you to kiss the door. It's almost like trying to walk through a glass door! Ok, thanks for letting me vent!! I feel better already!!
Bob in Anacortes, Wash.: You recently had a Grrr about the little ad pop-ups in the corner or across the bottom of your TV screen while you’re trying to watch a show. In that same vein (and I apologize if someone has already mentioned this – I could’ve missed it), don’t you hate the way so many movie channels squeeze the credits way over to one side at the end of the film so they can advertise what’s coming up next? My wife and I are always arguing about what some actor’s name was or when a movie was released and wait for the credits to see who was right and then, WHAM!, a stinking commercial, and credits so small and distorted that they are unreadable. A small thing, yes, but pack enough small things into a day and the result is one big GRRR!
April in Kentucky: Pam in Owensboro, Ky., I found your long lost cousin in Louisville, Ky.
Grrr to the 20-something man teaching his 20-something female friend how to drive, in the FAST LANE on a Friday afternoon on a major thoroughfare of an industrial park! I guess they felt entitled to drive there and swerve in and out of their lane going 20 mph in a 45 mph zone; maybe the rest of us driving should have been more considerate and taken a different route that was less traveled, because obliviously you didn’t need to. On a good afternoon, you can drive around the city and be amazed at the Obliviots that still have their license! FYI drivers, turn signals are not a new invention, and if you are turning and don’t use your turn signal, you have no right to be mad at the person behind you for getting up on your bumper. We are not psychic!
Robbie in cyberspace: I love your articles. There is an oblivion story that I just have to share that fits perfectly with your "day in the life of an Oblivion." This afternoon when I was driving to work, I pulled up to a stop light behind a sorority girl. We were the first two cars in the line. As we pulled away from the green light, she evidently got a call on her cell phone. Of course, her cell phone was in the back seat of the car. As she was reaching for the phone, she began to drift into the other lane. Fortunately no one was coming, yet. I thought for sure she would turn around, but she drifted further into the other lane and by this time, there was another car coming. I honked the horn to get her attention and she whipped the car back into our lane. At the next stop light, she was in a turning lane and I came to a stop beside her. Was she thankful that I alerted her and maybe helped her to avoid an accident? No, she was glaring at me, cursing into her cell phone. Also, when she got the arrow to turn, before leaving she flipped me off. That's gratitude for ya.
Dana in Bellevue, Neb.: When are parents going to stop blaming the television, movie and video game industry for their failures? I am convinced that if these parents paid more attention to their kids and knew what was going on in their lives, they would have law abiding, well-adjusted kids. I let my youngest son play whatever video games he wants. He is 16 and he gets great grades in school, has never been in trouble and has never hurt anyone or been arrested. We talk about violence and the difference between right and wrong because I feel that it is my responsibility raise him to be a functioning non-criminal member of society. My oldest son is the same way, he has a full-time job and pays his own bills and will be a full-time college student this year. All you parents out there advocating stronger ratings for video games need to first: stop buying games that you feel are inappropriate for your kids; second: stop blaming your failures on the entertainment industry and third: take responsibility for your children and spend time raising them instead of ignoring them. Take the time to get involved. Know their teachers and who they hang out with. Monitor what they do on the Internet and have open, frank discussions about sex, violence and the difference between right and wrong. I know this is really long, and you probably won’t run it, but I just had to get that off my chest.
Casey in Oklahoma: This Grrr is probably going to get me Grrd a few times myself, but I still feel it needs to be said. Grrrr to all the media for the constant attention that the Natalee Holloway saga is receiving. Please don't get me wrong, I feel for her family and I hope she is found, but why is it that we constantly hear about each new development in her case, while for the majority of missing children, the only mention they receive is a poster in the entrance of the local Wal-Mart? What makes her more important? What about 13-year-old Reyna Alvarado-Carerra, who disappeared mere weeks before Natalee? Why hasn't she been in the news? Also, it's apparent that Natalee isn't the perfect angel her family makes her out to be. I'm not saying she "got what she deserved," but she shouldn't have been out on a strange island in the bars at one in the morning without a chaperone. I hope in the future, the media will give attention to ALL missing and exploited children, not just the "rich attractive white girl."
Phil in Las Vegas: I ran into an oblivion at the gas station last week. We pulled in behind a lady that had just finished pumping and had entered her SUV. I was expecting her to leave, so I didn't do a pull through and turn-around to get a pump on the correct side of my car. Instead of leaving, she decided to get out her checkbook and enter the purchase while sitting in front of the pump. She then apparently entered every receipt she had been saving from the last week. After about three minutes, we pulled through and turned around to another pump. The station was full but she never noticed cars waiting behind her.
Brandon in San Diego: I love your column and read it every week. The "Day in the Life " description is very accurate it sounds like about 80 percent of So Cal and very specific to San Diego. Most of them also Importants. My wife and I, including our 3-month-old baby, were kept awake by a obliviot playing Splinter Cell on surround sound w/ subwoofer till 3 a.m. One thing that gets me about the gym obliviot is that he stands doing his version of curls or whatever that is directly in front of the dumbbell rack. As he does his, flailing others are waiting to pick up or re-rack their weights. Stand back about 4 feet and I don't care what you do or how you do it. Nothing gets me going more than an Obliviot flailing his 25 lbs. right in front of the space to re-rack my 110lbs. Which in turn the prevalent Gym Obliviot sets his 25s in the cradles clearly marked 110 and walks away. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Melanie in N.J.: I’d like to respond to Marjorie in Kalamazoo, Mich. I know how your daughter feels, but only more so. I was born without a left arm from the elbow down. My entire life people have pointed, stared, whispered behind their hands, etc. That’s what we’re taught: It’d be rude to ask questions, but we’re still curious. Let me just say, GO AHEAD AND ASK. It’s OK, we don’t bite. If you’re unsure, ask a person if it’s OK to ask them what happened. If they say no, walk away, no harm done. Speaking for myself, if I were self-conscious about my so-called “handicap," I would not pretend to get my arm caught in elevator doors. Little kids have no qualms about asking questions. I work in day care, and a kid has no problem saying, “Where’s your arm?” Hopefully, adults will be a little more articulate in their asking, but the principal is the same: Curiosity is OK. If you never ask questions, how will you ever learn?
Debbie in cyberspace: After paying $40 for a ticket to see one of my favorite musical artists, I found it extremely irritating and rude when the Oblivion behind us proceeded to try to out-sing the artist herself. It was not one of those loud, screamy-type concerts but rather a more laid-back and quiet type concert at our civic center. (as opposed to an outdoor concert where it seems anything goes). Everyone around had a hard time hearing the actual performer and no amount of dirty looks or meaningful glares could shut this wannabe up. Some concerts are not for standing up and trying to out-perform the people we all PAID to see. Sit down and shut up if you find yourself at a performance where most of us are sitting down and shutting up! Grrrrrr!!!!
Andrew in Milwaukee, Wis.: I was on the 6:30 a.m. Midwest Airlines Flight 580 from Milwaukee to Kansas City with final destination to San Antonio, which is where I was going. Upon final approach to KC, I heard this odd noise. Clink, clink, clink ... clink. I started looking around, and the guy in the seat behind my parents on the opposite side of the isle was clipping his nails and letting them fly everywhere. Who in their right mind does that on a plane in close quarters, let alone in public? I can understand if it was a hang nail that might bleed a lot if snagged, and that is just one clip, but this guy was giving himself a manicure. I feel sorry for the attendant that had to clean up that pile of nails.
Adam in cyberspace: A huge Grrr that everybody needs to hear. Those access aisles between handicapped parking spaces are there for a purpose! It is far worse to park there than in the handicapped spot itself. Yes, it's true people with MS can drive! Anybody in a wheelchair can drive! And yes, when you park in their access aisle they need to ask somebody to move their car for them because they can't get into it, a humiliating process. And there are too many people out there that I personally know that could be helped by the handicapped space, but this has happened too many times so they end up parking as far away as possible so that nobody will park next to them! Get a clue! Get an ounce of decency!
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Mike Straka is the director of operations and special projects for FOXNews.com, and covers entertainment and features on the Sunday program "FOX Magazine." He also writes the weekly Grrr! Column and hosts "The Real Deal" video segments on FOXNews.com.
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